the art of artificial
by Rozewater
Summary: for once in their lives, Rui made the silence while Wes tried to break it; apparently seedy hotels were actually good for something. - wes/rui, colosseumshipping.


**Rosie Says:** This little oneshot was inspired by playing around in The Under, taking a break from my larger AAML story, and a disappointing lack of my beloved Colosseumshipping. Enjoy!

**Characters:** _Wes/Rui (Colosseumshipping)_

**Universe:** _Game, Pokemon Colosseum_

**Rating:** _T for suggestive moments_

* * *

><p>Neon signs paint the air bright. Plumes of exhaust float outside the window. The buzz of florescent light bulbs ring in her ears, and Rui has to hum to keep the noise at bay. She tries to forget that she's stuck under miles of earth, in a crime capital of the world, surrounded by Cipher agents at every corner. This is The Under. And this little girl from Agate Village has to pretend she's not afraid.<p>

Which is easier said than done.

The hotel room she's standing in is small, dark. A rickety bed sits in the center, a green tinge on the covers from those hideous signs outside. There's an odd thumping noise from the room next door, and Rui blushes at the sounds. She glances to her only company. Hopefully he hasn't seen her expression. Or better yet, he hasn't heard those soft moans at all.

Lucky her. Wes seems distracted by the grime on the walls.

A crash is heard from the bar downstairs, and she hums a little louder.

"What are you doing?"

Her blue eyes dart up, hooked to the spot by his golden ones. She wonders what odd recessive gene gave Wes such a color - why does everything about this boy have to be so strange? He stares her down from the other side of the bed. His fingers rest on the wall, paused in chipping off old flakes of paint. He cocks an eyebrow. And Rui remembers how to make words.

"I'm just humming. That's all."

His expression doesn't change. "Why?"

Because she's anxious. Because she's scared. And, honestly, she thinks she has every right to be. Being on the run for months on end can fray a person's mind. She was never cut out for a life like this. Rui would rather cuddle Pokémon than battle them, read about adventures than live them. She's tired of sleeping in shady hotels in bad parts of town with a boy who doesn't seem to feel fear. Yet…what does humming have to do with anything? How can she explain? The answer is obvious: she can't.

So Rui shrugs.

She walks over to the bed, feeling Wes's gaze follow. For some reason, the thought of those golden eyes on her makes goosebumps erupt. She's still blushing. And the girl hopes to heaven that the neighbor couple doesn't pick a bad time to make awkward noises.

Rui sits against the pillows. Surprisingly, Wes joins her. The ancient bed creaks at their combined weight, and that sickly green glow is now cast on them both. Subconsciously, Rui's mind calculates how far Wes's body is from hers. Warmth faintly brushes her arms. Despite the dark, she knows he's close.

"…Why?"

Rui jumps. For a second, she worries that Wes's picked up mind reading in his spare time. But his soft voice calms her speeding heart…and quickly amps it up right after. She shrugs again. Rui has no better words for her feelings than she did ten seconds ago. But the silly boy _still_ doesn't seem satisfied by her answer.

He pulls at a loose thread of the blanket. "If…if you're worried about the money…"

One, she wonders why Wes is still pressing the issue. And two, money is the last thing on her mind. Sure, they have few supplies. Food and hotel change is often scarce. But to be concerned about _money_ would be so _logical_. And _logical_ seems to be the last word to assign her feelings. Rui laughs.

But Wes frowns. He becomes unusually still. "…I want to know what you're thinking."

Her laughter is cut short. She turns to her partner, her companion, her _friend_, and tries to figure out what is making him act so different. Sure, Wes isn't a _heartless_ guy. But he definitely is a man of few words. Words that would be better spent interviewing people about what Cipher was up to next – not the inner workings of a teenage girl's mind. "Don't mind me," she assures him. Wes's questions make her breathing a little harder, and she rather likes oxygen. "I'm fine. Just…tired." Rui makes a mental note to work on her acting skills.

An uneasy silence fills the space. A very distinct, "Oh, _yes_!" can be heard through the thin wall, and Rui cringes. _This_ is why she hates The Under. No decency…

Wes remains perfectly still, and Rui wonders if the sounds have finally caught his attention. Oh goodness…that is the _last_ thing she needs. But when she dares a peek at the white haired boy, his face seems expressionless. More focused than uneasy. He pulls his lips back one or two times, chancing his words before holding them back. Rui can feel his intensity.

Perhaps its now her turn to ask questions. "…What is it, Wes?"

The bed creaks as he takes a deep breath. And after a long moment, the Trainer spits out his thoughts. "I have been wanting to tell you. That… I know… It can't be easy traveling with me."

Rui bites the inside of her cheek. Wes's tone seems so honest, so sorry. Guilt claws at her throat. What is wrong with her? How could she be the cause of his soft voice turning so hard?

"Wes-"

"No." He holds up a hand, silencing her. "I… I have been thinking about that. You. Us. A lot. The money issue just made me think of it quicker. And I've realized how unfair of a situation this is for you."

And although Rui is sure that isn't what he meant, Wes's use of "us" sends shivers down her spine.

"I just feel like I forced you into this. I needed you for your ability to see Shadow Pokémon. But things have been hard. Things have been rough." His head bows. "And seeing your face like that, while you hum some crazy little song…"

Rui's heart breaks. Why is it the one time Wes speaks more than five sentences to her, it is about something like this? "Wes…"

"I inadvertently manipulated you. Because you're a good person and you wouldn't say no, you jumped into the hole I've dug myself. I _made_ this relationship happen. Because I knew it _had_ to. I made something fake. Unnatural."

"No." It happens without thinking. Rui reaches across the small gap, snatching up Wes's hand in her own. "No. I'm not just here for some 'greater good'. I'm here because not only do I know it's the right thing, but I'll be by the side of one of the most amazing people I know." Wes's skin, so cold to the touch, seems to give her a sudden reality check. Wes isn't a touchy-feely type. What has come _over_ her? But…all he is doing is staring at their hands. And he has yet to pull away…

Next room over, the front door echoes as it closes. The "visitor" has left. Suddenly, Rui feels very alone.

A flush of warmth floods her system. A strange boldness makes her head spin. Running her thumb along his, she finds the strength to whisper, "I'll always be here, Wes. Because I _want_ to be." She leans forward, and brushes her lips against his cheek.

What the hell is she thinking?

Why is Wes squeezing her hand tighter?

He continues to sit so still and quiet. She nearly jumps when he turns around so quickly. Face to face, she sees his honey eyes melt.

And soon she is lying on her back, wondering how Wes has gotten on top of her.

His lips are on her's so lightning fast. Within seconds his breath is in her mouth, warm and hot, and she can feel herself shaking. Everything has changed so mind-numbingly fast. Everything has flipped from mental and emotional to fast and physical. She realizes how long she's waited for this. Her hands are in his hair, lost in the thick waves. She silently wishes there had been more dating opportunities back in Agate, so she'd had more chances to practice for _this_…

The weight of his body feels so right. All sense of reason leaves her mind, newly filled with the taste of his skin. Wes curls a hand around the back of her neck. He kisses her longer, harder, each time a little deeper than the last. A blissful, lightning minute later, Wes pulls away. He props himself up on his elbows, blinking down at Rui. And an unusual expression comes over his face.

"I-…I'm sorry." And then Rui recognizes it. The expression the strong warrior wears is _fear_…

She can't help it. She laughs.

"Why are you laughing?" He face flashes to frustration. Rui realizes that she's probably driving the poor boy mad. She confuses _herself_, sometimes.

"I just think it's silly that you're saying sorry. What's there to apologize for?"

"Perhaps the fact I just all but _forced_ myself on you?" Those beautiful eyes narrow at her, and Rui laughs even harder. How could he not see? Did he really think…?

She stokes the curve of his cheek and he tries to hide his flinch. "I'm pretty sure I didn't mind." She blushes despite herself. And Wes's new, slow smile doesn't help that.

"…Oh." He lowers his face once more, hard breathing hinting at things she hadn't even thought about. "Well then…"

_Perhaps neon green isn't _that_ bad of a color_, Rui muses to herself, before bringing her face to meet Wes' and forgetting about the world for a time.


End file.
